


you taught me the courage of stars before you left

by JayQueenofHugs (bifangirl)



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Guilt, Hurt No Comfort, Not Canon Compliant, Self-Sacrifice, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24473851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bifangirl/pseuds/JayQueenofHugs
Summary: The cry of “Jet, look out!” from Ruby might have been enough to prepare her for the attack had she not been so caught off guard by it. Instead, it only served to knock her off balance, even if only for a second. But that one second was enough, and, as she whirled around wide-eyed to face her unseen attacker, she stumbled backward, trying to raise Flickerish to block her enemy. But she wasn’t fast enough, her sword arm refused to move, and she closed her eyes to brace herself for the blow.
Relationships: Theobald Gumbar & Jet Rocks
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	you taught me the courage of stars before you left

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to the D20 Discord Fan Server for all your encouragement!  
> Spoilers for ACoC 6/7  
> Title is from Saturn by Sleeping at last

“Jet, look out!” It was Ruby’s shout that got Theo’s attention, and he whirled around to see an enemy behind the princess, sword poised to strike. Without even a second’s hesitation, he dove forward, taking the blow for her. The blade pierced his gummy body, and he fell, not regretting his choice in the slightest. As the life drained out of his body, as he went numb, the relief and pride he felt in protecting the young Rocks were overwhelmed by a single thought. _He wasn’t able to protect them anymore; he’d failed in his duty._

* * *

The cry of “Jet, look out!” from Ruby might have been enough to prepare her for the attack had she not been so caught off guard by it. Instead, it only served to knock her off balance, even if only for a second. But that one second was enough, and, as she whirled around wide-eyed to face her unseen attacker, she stumbled backward, trying to raise Flickerish to block her enemy. But she wasn’t fast enough, her sword arm refused to move, and she closed her eyes to brace herself for the blow.

But the blow never landed - at least not on her. Instead, she heard a sickening squelch, a muffled gasp of pain, and the sound of a body collapsing to the ground next to her. She tentatively opened her eyes, not sure what to expect. Her scream of rage and grief shook the battlefield, everything pausing as friend and foe alike turned to look at what had happened. Jet paid no mind to any of them because lying on the ground, completely unmoving, after taking the sword meant for her, was Sir Theobald Gumbar.

The fight died down quickly, Jet’s vengeance and fury guiding her strikes as she cut down everyone in her path. Across the battlefield, she could sense the grief and anger of her allies as they, too, fought furiously. Every move she made was cold and calculated; any enjoyment she might have previously derived from the clash was replaced by bloodlust as she struck down enemy after enemy. And, as she continued to fight, she was joined by a vengeful Sprinkle. Theo’s familiar warbled angrily in the faces of their enemies, blinding them, and helping Jet when she swung.

Once everything had settled, Sprinkle returned to his master’s side, pitifully squeaking and bumping into Theo’s body. Jet watched numbly, all her anger fading with the end of the battle. No one moved to comfort the familiar, everyone looking for comforting themselves. Sprinkle hovered uncertainly in the air, giving a sad squeak before vanishing in a puff of arcane blue smoke. A silence heavy with grief filled the air, only to be broken by sobs. It was as though Sprinkle had taken the last bit of Theo with him as he went, and no one wanted to think about the implications.

Jet felt like she was starting to understand why her father hated being the Unfallen so much. She felt cursed; she’d lost so much since turning 18. Two of her mentors were dead from protecting her, and she didn’t even deserve it, not anymore. Lapin hadn’t been able to escape the chapel, his only chance to act used to cast Fly on Theo, saving all of their lives. And _Theo,_ Theo had taken that blow for _her,_ he’d saved her life. _“I’ll make it up to them,”_ she promised silently, guilt and grief gripping her heart. Maybe she hadn’t deserved to be saved then, but she’d make sure their sacrifices weren’t for naught.

After that, Jet trained harder, striving to reach the level of combat her father was at; that Theo had been at. Maybe if she had been better, then she never would have let her guard down, and Theo would still be alive. An idea popped into her head, intertwining itself quickly with her doubts and guilt until she stopped ignoring it. And so the day after she first thought up the idea, she went to talk to Ruby.

“Ruby?” she asked, quietly walking over to her twin. Her sister looked up from her book, eyes slightly red. Jet hesitated for a moment, thinking about her plan before speaking again. “I want to learn magic.”

Something had been reminding her that both Lapin and Theo had had magic, and something had been telling her that maybe if she learned magic, she could be as good as them. And something in her mind was telling her that maybe if she had known magic, she wouldn’t have needed protection, she would have been better, Lapin and Theo would still be alive. She devoted all her time to learning magic, reading books, and learning about history - something she never would have bothered with before.

And then, after long hours and weeks of studying and training, she cast her first spell. She wasn’t quite sure what encouraged her to cast it or why it came to the forefront of her mind when she was studying, but it felt important, and she was never one to ignore instincts. And so, one unfittingly bright day, she cast _Find Familiar_ in a large courtyard. She wasn’t quite sure what form her familiar would come in, but her delight would have been evident to everyone present had there been an audience for her first spell. Instead, she was the only one to witness a familiar blue Sprinkle appear out of the sky as tears spilled down her cheeks. A noble and vicious steed just for her.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the open air, hoping that Sir Theobald Gumbar could hear her voice.

* * *

Theo woke up in the Sugarplum Fairy’s embrace. Around him stood familiar faces of people he had known and lost, people he had failed. The Rocks sisters - _Lazuli_ \- stood there. _Lapin and Preston_ stood there. He felt a pang of grief overshadowed by guilt. Maybe if he’d tried harder, been stronger, been _better,_ none of his friends would have died. Something must have shown because Lazuli stepped forward, a stern but kind look on her face.

“You didn’t fail anyone, Theobald,” she said gently. “My death is not your fault; _Lapin’s_ death is not your fault. The responsibility to protect does not rest solely on your shoulders, no matter how you feel about that. Rest now, you took good care of my family.”

That was all it took for him to break down and breathe. He hadn’t taken a break since becoming a knight; he hadn’t allowed himself to relax or to think of anything other than protecting the Rocks family. Maybe now he could, maybe now he wouldn’t have to worry about anything. It felt like a weight had been lifted from him, though a shadow still dwelt in his mind. Try as he might, Theo couldn’t ignore his doubts, couldn’t forget the fact that he’d left the Rocks without their shield.

It was a few weeks later when he felt the power of the Sweetening Path tug at him, a thread seemingly connecting him to the mortal plane. He focused on the thread, trying to figure out its source. For a moment, he thought he could hear voices. He thought he heard Jet thanking someone, although no response came. He couldn’t fully make out the words, but something clicked in his mind, a sudden realization. Sprinkle was there; there was still a connection between Theo and his familiar. He told the others, even though he knew Lazuli had other ways of connecting to the living. And, surrounded by everyone he had previously failed to protect, Theo looked through Sprinkle’s eyes. He would watch over the Rocks family even though he was gone, even though he couldn’t be there to protect them.

**Author's Note:**

> 1) I'm not entirely sure when this takes place but it sure doesn't fit in the canon timeline at all  
> 2) I'm sorry  
> 3) I'll try to get my other character studies done but it might be a bit, especially since I might be rewriting Jet's  
> 4) Sorry again, I'll try to write something happy but no promises (though I think my Sprinkle art balances out the angst)  
> 5) The working title for this was Sad Idea of the Day, which I think is very fitting


End file.
